Waxl construction



'0. E. QUASS.

WALL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H, 1916.

Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- FlG. 1

INVENTOR WALL com TR APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. I916.

CTION.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. QUASS, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'I'O JOHN F. ODEA- 0F CANTON, OHIO.

WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed March 11, 1916. Serial No. 88,698. a

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES EDWARD QUAss, a resident of Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wall Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fireproof walls, partitions, and ceilings. The object of the invention is to provide an improved wall, partition, or ceiling which can be applied in sections and therefore may be erected easily and at a low cost for labor, which can be taken down without destruction of its parts and can therefore be used over again; which secures thorough protection against fire and is free from cracks or crevices through which air can pass so that the finished wall is a practically continuous uninterrupted sheet; and also a wall which can be manufactured at low cost, which is not likely to collapse during a fire, which is strong and rigid, and which is also susceptible of ornamentation.

The invention comprises the fireproof wall, partition, or ceiling hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall and ceiling embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of one of the panels or slabs thereof, and also illustrates one form of metallic covering therefor; Fig. 3 is a face view of another form of panel or slab; Fig. 4 is a rear face view thereof; Fig. 5 is a cross section thereof on the line 55, Fig. 4; Fig. 5 is a similar section of another panel or slab; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section illustrating an inner corner between two side walls; Fig. 7 is a similar View showing a different form of corner parting strip; Fig. 8 is a similar view, showing an outside corner; Fig. 9 is a vertical section showing one form of parting strip; Fig. 9 is a similar section showing a modified form of parting strip; Fig. 10 is a section showing a bottom strip; and Fig. 11 is a cross section showing a finishing strip.

My improved wall, partition, or ceiling consists essentially of a series of panels or slabs, preferably of a form or composition resistant to fire, together with the necessary parting strips and fittings for securing them to the studding, joists or other framework of the building.

The panels or slabs may be of various forms, for instance, a square or rectangular slab or plate 1 of fireproof or other material, which may be made of any suitable shape or dimensions. This slab may be made of plaster of Paris or asbestos, or may be fabricated from layers of paper and a fireproof material in the form of the Well known plasterboard. To stiffen the structure and protect the fireproof material from injury it may be covered with metal, for example the thin metal sheet or plate 2, of the same shape as the slab or panel body 1, which metal plate in the assembled wall lies fiat against one face of the body 1 and is exposed on the outside of the wall.

The panels or slabs may also be made in the form of a shell or container 3, made from a flat metal sheet whose edge portions are bent laterally and back upon the body to form inner channels or grooves 4, so that said shell is closed on one face and partially open on its opposite face. This shell may be used by itself, as shown in Fig. 5*, as a hollow sheet metal panel, but may also be filled with a body or base 5, as shown in Fig. 5, such as plaster of Paris, asbestos, or any of the various fireproof compositions now in use, or in fact with any hard substance, whether fireproof or otherwise, and as plasterboard, slate or tiling. This material is filled into the shell flush with the surface of the inwardly extending flanges 6 around the periphery of its open side, so that the finished panel is a solid rectangular slab, with a continuous metal face on one side, and whose other face comprises the central exposed portion of the filling material and the peripheral metal flanges 6.

The continuous metal faces of the panels, indicatedv at 2 and 3 respectively, may be even flat faces, or may be provided with any suitable surface ornamentation, such as by shaping the sheets in a die to raise a pattern or design in relief thereon, as indicated at 7. The relief design 7 may be of rectangular shape and extend outwardly merely the thickness of the metal, so that its surface is flush with the parting strips between panels hereinafter described, which gives the wall a continuous even surface, or said relief design may be in the form of flowers or ornamental designs, as will be readily understood.

The framework of the wall and ceiling comprises the usual studding 8 and floor joists 9. The several panels are held in place thereon by parting strips 10, extendingat right angles to each other vertically and horizontally on the walls and longitudinally and transversely on the ceiling. The greater part of said strips may be of the same cross section, except as hereinafter described, and consequently can be made in pieces of considerable length and out off to suit. any desired size or shape of panel or spacing of the studs or oists. These strips, in cross section, are usually of the form shown in Fig. 9, and are formed of sheet metal bent into substantially I form. The base flanges 11 extend outwardly beyond the edges of the head 12, and consist of single plies of the metal, whereas the head is twoply and is joined to the base by a web ha ving two plies 13. This form of partlng strip provides two opposed channels or grooves 14: to receive the abutting edges of ad acent panels, and. the wide base flanges enable said strips to be secured to the studding or joists by nails, screws or other devices driven through said flanges thereinto. -In some cases the construction shown in Fig. 9 may be employed, in which the two plies 13 of the web are separated to provide a hollow space 15 therebetween, enabling the securing nail or screw to be driven through the head 12 into the studding or joists from the outside. has the advantage of entirely concealing the securing device.

The bottom strip at the floor may be a simple channel 16 of the form shown in Fig. 10, having the base flange 18 thereof wider than the head 19 and through which the securing nails may be driven to fasten said strip to the wall.

In angles or corners a special parting strip is employed, several shapes being shown in the drawings. Fig. 6 illustrates an inside corner, such as the corner at the angle between two adjacent side walls or between a side wall and ceiling. The corner strip shown comprises a sheet of metal bent to form two channels 16L at right angles to each other to receive the. abutting edges of adjacent panels of the walls or walls'and ceiling. The base flanges extend outwardly beyond the edges of the head 12*, which is formed of two plies and is in two portions at right angles to each other. This form of parting strip leaves an open rectangular space 20 at the corner, which may 'be avoided by using a partingv strip of the form shown in Fig. 7, in which one of the channels 14 overlaps the other, so that the edge of the panel therein fills the space at the corner. The head flange 12 shown extends along only one wall surface, although it may extend along both, either arrangement fully covering the joint or crack between the adjacent panels.

The first form described, however,

Fig. 8 illustrates an outside corner, such as the angle between two side walls which jut out into the room. In this form of the invention the base flanges 11 extend out beyond the edges of the head 12, and the latter is wider than in the other forms, due to the fact that it incloses the space between the edges of the two panels. Said head, however, covers and completely incloses the joint or crack between said panels.

The parting strips running in one direction are made of considerable length, for example, the full length of the wall or ceiling, or may be made in two or more sections, if desirable. The parting strips running in the other direction, however, are in short lengths, extending crosswise between the long parting strips, like the rungs of a lad der. In erecting a wall a simple channel 16 is fastened to the studding at the floor level by nails driven through the base flange 18. A row of panels is then laid in place with their edges in the groove or channel of said strip, said panels being spaced apart by vertical short parting strips. The ends of the head portions of the parting strips meet or abut the edges of the head flange 19 of the channel, and their base flanges overlie and are supported by the wide base flange 18, as in Fig. 10. Vertical parting strips, of full length, are also placed in the corners between adjacent walls. A second horizontal parting strip is then applied to the upper edges of the panels, and is fastened to the studding by nails or screws driven through its exposed base flange. Another row of said panels and vertical parting strips is laid in place on the second horizontal strip, and so on, up to the full height of the Wall, which is finished by a corner strip in the angle between the wall and ceiling and in one of the channels of which the edges of the first row of ceiling panels are placed. The ceiling panels are then applied in rows in the same manner as the side wall panels.

To facilitate assembly one of the partng strips in each wall, partition, or ceiling is preferably of the form shown in Fig. 11, and consists of two separable members 25 and 26. Member 25 has a wide base flange 11 a web 13 and a two-ply folded head 12, lying on one side only of the web 13. Member 26 is a metal strip, one edge of which is folded over upon the body so that one half of said strip is two-ply and the other half a single ply 27. In building up the wall, partition or ceiling the corner strips in both angles are applied first and the wall is built up in opposite directions from the two corners until the panels meet. A finishing strip 25 is then applied to the edge of one panel and is fastened to the studding or joists by nails driven through its base 11. The edge of the other panel is then pushed into place and the finishing strip 26 is a plied by inserting its single ply 27 into t e space between the folds of head 12, thereby locking both panels in place. This finishing strip has substantially the same appearance as the remainder of the strips, but enables the wall to be readily disassembled by merely pulling out the strip 26.

The panels shown in Figs. 5 and 5 are applied by merely inserting their edges into the channels of the parting strips, leaving their metal surfaces exposed on the inner face of the wall or ceiling. The panels or slabs 1, shown in Fig. 2, may be used in the same manner, without metallic covering, but when the covering sheets 2 are employed they are inserted into the same parting strip channels or grooves, so as to overlie and protect the base slabs. These metallic sheets 2 may be flat but preferably are coved or curved so as to be normally concavo-convex, as shown in Fig. 2, and are inserted with their convex faces next to the faces of the base slabs 1. Therefore, in the completed wall or ceiling the sheets are flat and the cove therein causes them to tightly hug the base slabs 1, giving a solid construction with no open spaces between the metal sheets and base slabs.

This construction entirel avoids driving nails or screws through t e'panels themselves, since the only parts fastened directly to the studding or oists are the parting strips. The wall or ceiling may consequently be taken down and the panels used over again. The parting strips can also be used again, since in the second construction the studding and joists in the majority of cases will come at difl'erent points.

The wall or ceiling, when completed, is substantially a continuous unbroken sheet with no exposed cracks or crevices through which air can pass. The head and base flange portions of the parting strips inclose or embrace the edges of the panels and the heads of the parting strips cover and conceal the cracks or joints between panels. The Wall or ceiling consequently complies with all requirements of the tire underwriters and is safe, strong and rigid.

What I claim is A wall, partition, or ceiling, comprising a framework, and a series of panels, each comprising a fireproof body, and metal sheets for covering the same, and parting strips for said panels adapted to be se cured to the framework, the edges of said sheets lying Within said panels, said sheets being normally concavo-convex and having their convex sides next to the panel body with their edges countersunk on the inside of the panels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES E. QUASS. Witnesses:

H. V. PAY,

J ANE F. WILSON. 

